Unconquered Heavens
by Shadowed Chaos
Summary: Drabble series-; Diverges from canon around the time the Autobots and the humans are on Lockdown's ship looking for Tessa. Drift finds an old friend he'd thought lost, and things go from there.
1. Chapter 1

This popped into my head after watching AoE again and coming away unhappy with how a few things were handled. My attempts to fix-it to my liking, and do some justice to Movie!Drift. (Awesome guy but a touch too stereotypical for my tastes.)

Hopefully something that doesn't unfold a monster plot on me, and remains a side project.

* * *

 _Invictus'_ energy seemed to screeble against his plating, enough for the samurai's helm to whip around, staring down the long passageway. ~No...~

~Yes. Find.~ The Sword hissed, radiating defiance and not-so-empty-threats against it's Wielder. Drift grunted, well aware of what denying the Sword could lead to. Had lead to in the past. He broke away from the group with a single minded growl. "Keep the fleshlings safe."

He knew he sounded like Deadlock, once, before - Before then. Before he'd swapped sides, before Knucklehead had died. He knew the humans were staring at him in shock. He didn't care.

"Where are you going?"

"I've a _feeling_ we've missed something." He said; they didn't know that _Invictus_ was more than just a sword; they couldn't know or they want him to use it as more than a last resort. Only when he'd gained the affirmative from Crosshairs, did the once-Decepticon take off down the passageway. The others continued on without him. He'd either meet up with them, or not and find his own way back to Earth. If only because he _did not_ want to go where the ship was headed.

It didn't take him long, _Invictus_ hissing, screaming - shrieking in a language only he could understand - for it's forge-twin.

He expected to find the Sword lifeless, a husk waiting for a new wielder. He didn't expect to find its nexus pulsing dim-blue. He also didn't expect to find a _familiar_ jet hanging upside down in stasis. He didn't even think as he blasted the cage open, wincing as the jet hit the ground. _Please, please don't be dead_. He didn't want to lose _another_ friend, another lover to Lockdown. He didn't think he could take it, not so soon after Knucklehead. He leaned over, hand ghosting the jet's shoulder-

He didn't even have time to blink; a sword was at his throat, golden optics wild - _afraid_. He backed up as the figure stood. Taller than him by a few heads, but not as tall as say Starscream.

"Who," the voice rasped. It hadn't been used in a long, long time.

"Deadlock - Wing-" He spread his hands out, hoping the gesture meant something to an otherwise skittish mech. He really, really did not want to be stabbed. "Your domesticated Decepticon."

Because he _wasn't_ tame. He'd never be tame, but Wing had... done something, domesticated him enough when he'd been captive in Crystal City, that once he'd defected, he'd made genuine attempts to fit in with the Autobots. He knew they'd likely never trust him, but he tried.

(In hindsight, maybe reinventing himself so completely _hadn't_ been the smartest idea... Oh well. He _liked_ annoying Hound with his haiku and gratuitous Japanese.)

"Prove it."

The Sword dug in and Drift swallowed before slowly kneeling. The only other mechanoid he'd kneel to was Optimus Prime, but as far as Wing knew, Deadlock - Drift - had only ever knelt to _him_. "I have _Invictus_."

He made sure the name was attached with the Sword's glyphs: Unconquered Spirit.

"Show." It was more an order than request, and carefully, Drift drew the Great Sword from where it hung, half-hidden amongst his other swords.

He dropped it to the ground at his Knight - Daimyu's feet. A strange word, but one that he thought suited the relationship they'd once had - still had. Allspark, his processor was off its game, and he knew it was because he'd found someone he'd thought dead was actually alive, and having _Invictus_ shrieking hadn't helped. He'd need to race once everything was over. Race and meditate and drag Crosshairs away for a round or three of sparing. Spar with Wing, too. Maybe more.

He'd think about those things later. He was a warrior first. A few deep breaths in and out and cool air washed relief across heatsinks.

Slowly, the Sword - _Egregius Caeli_ -, his cortex roughly translated Peerless Heavens' name to a local, if ancient, language- withdrew. At the same time, _Invictus'_ hissing returned to the near silent purr of contentment.

"Deadlock."

"Drift." He said suddenly.

"Drift. It.. suits you. Driftlock." The name was laden with so many meanings and Drift smirked despite himself, reclaiming his Sword and standing only when given a nod. Wing glanced around, shoulder's hunching. "The rest - They're not-"

"Prime's set a charge." He noticed how Wing's optics rezzed, but he didn't have time to explain. "The prison ship'll detach. We've got to get out before that happens, or Lockdown notices."

"Or his pet." Wing added as he followed Deadlock away from his cell, trusting his Decepticon not to lead him astray.

"Pet?" Drift paused, unease flickering though his field. Why did he _not_ like the sound of that. "What... sort of pet."

"A former Knight." Wing gave a name.

Drift cursed. "Is he - active?"

"Yes." Wing said softly, "He is."

* * *

Comments etc welcome and appreciated, as are prompts.


	2. Chapter 2

Somehow, they'd made it out of the ship, all of them intact. Maybe. He didn't know where the Prime was, and he couldn't bring himself to care at this point in time.

He'd sunk into Deadlock, complete with battle-crazed smirk and flashes of denta and fang. Wing taken one look and nodded. _Implicit trust_ , even knowing who - what - he was. Deadlock would _never_ betray it. Wing was on the same pedestal as Optimus Prime. Higher, perhaps.

It didn't matter, _wouldn't_ matter until after the battle.

Swords sung as the clashed, mechs swore, and the human-pets ran for cover as their defenders fought off not one, but two threats chasing them. One was black and gold, the size of Bumblebee. Slender, sleek, skilled and deadly. His optics blazed Primus-blue, a harsh contrast against the golden jet's ruby-crimson.

Fortunately, Wing was more than a match for Sunstorm, the insane Knight - young, and showing classic signs of forced hacking and shoddy code-work- that screamed obscenities at him. Driftlock, oddly, found it reassuring the humans couldn't understand anything unless they wanted the organics too. It was easier, better. No human needed to hear the amount of curses he rattled off.

The Autobots had blinked once or twice, while Wing had laughed, but this was War, and Autobots were not innocent when it came to curses. They'd point their guns at him later, demanding explanations he wasn't sure he wanted to give. Drift was - Drift was him but it _wasn't_. It'd never gelled, try as he might. This though. This - Driftlock - gelled and sat _right_.

 _Invictus_ agreed. He figured the Sword was amused, the fragger. He could - would - yell at the Great Sword later.

Right now, he had a battle to win.

He twisted and ducked, deadly grace and sorely wishing he had his fragging guns. Swords came up to block the fallen Knight's own. "Give up, kid."

The black-and-gold sneered. "Never. You stole from my master."

Driftlock wasn't sure what to make of the confusingly _butchered_ meaning behind the glyphs, so he ignored it. "Pfftt. Wing is _Mine_."

The kid didn't even understand the meaning, and the Autobots in battle alongside him sent scathing, angry, infuriated comm-links. Driftlock laughed. " _Wing is Mine_ -"

He knew what _he_ meant, and he revelled in the shock his native accent gained him. Thick, guttural, blunt and to the point. It was nothing like the cultured general Japanese (Or so Youtube had called it) accent he used when speaking Human Languages. "Always _Mine_."

He rocked back, kicking the kid off him, and surging up, spark pounding a familiar, needed rush of battle-desire -

A quick edit of _**Do Not Kills**_ and he sunk into the programming, sunk into what he was.

A killer. Someone who'd been given half a chance and enough leash from the one he called his Handler. He'd win this for them, or die trying.

* * *

~ my headcanon for AoE!Driftlock is a bird of prey gentled to hand. He's _far_ from tame.  
~ Great Swords possess Qualia/Sentience to a degree; they will not Link to a Wielder they think Unworthy. _Invictus_ is one of these Swords.

Thoughts, comments etc welcome and wanted.


	3. Chapter 3

Researching knights, and this popped into my head. I think I have a vague plot. Opps.

This follows only the films, with the tie in media (Comics, books etc) used at my discretion if I own them. Warning for mentioned character death.

* * *

In the end, Sunstorm fell to Wing. No matter how powerful the orange and gold flier was, he ended up pinned to the ground, _Egregius Caeli_ across the back of his neck, hard enough to be a threat against attempting anything, even with Wing kneeling on his back, knee digging painfully into a spinal strut. While Wing and Sunstorm had fought, Deadlock circled the field, killing anything that wasn't marked as Do Not Kill, while the Prime engaged Lockdown, but the addition of the black and gold fallen Knight meant it, and its master, ended up being able to flee Earth on the ship with the Seed.

Optimus was... unhappy.

Yet there was nothing they could do right now, and Deadlock hissed curses under his breath as he wound his way back to his Handler - Daimyu, kneeling not as a defeated creature, but in respect to the Knight that held his jesses (and he was vaguely aware this was putting himself at a _disadvantage_ if anyone attacked, but, oh well. It was on the 'better end of things in the planet's day cycle'). Oh, the Prime could hold them - could demand and force them from Wing - yet Deadlock - Drift - didn't think he'd do that.

He hoped.

Wing was from the Circle of Light, not the Knights of Light that now stood in a loose circle around the battlefield.

It kept the non-allied humans at bay, at least.

His spark was beating wildly as the other Autobots approached with wary stances, guns at the ready, yet he didn't look up. It was improper, and Wing was a Daimyu, and hadn't yet said a word other than a soft grunt of acknowledgement. Understandable, given the situation Wing was dealing with. There were also other Knights around, and for all he had _Invictus_ , he was no Knight. Dai Atlas had forbidden it, despite his own Sword being twin to Wing's. Yet, he knew the basics of Knighthood well enough; the Knights of Light had answered to the Primes of old, and now they were here under this Prime's command. Wing was a Circle Knight, and he wasn't sure if that meant he was a Knight of Light, or something only vaugely related to it, yet still a Knight.

Confusing, but not worth the headache, for him at least. Knights also knew who was a Knight and who wasn't just by the emissions fields. IFF tags too, and right now, Deadlock knew his own field was a mess. Autobot, Decepticon - what side was he even _on_?

Autobot, of course, but until he got himself back under control, that question would linger even as guns slowly lowered and folded away. He moved wrong now, and not only would he be (potentially) missing a face, but he'd be eating his own, still beating spark fed to him by a Light Knight. Best play it _safe_ until he knew what was expected of him.

It was as if he was back kneeling before Optimus - _The Lord Prime_ -, having just switched sides. (Or, more darkly, just joined a new Decepticon unit, only without the kneeling and more of them looking at _him_ to set the tone.)

"What do we do with this one, Lord Prime?" Wing asked; and there was Driftlock's answer, and he tensed slightly. He loved Wing, but sometimes he really _did_ want to strangle him. "The youngling was force-hacked."

"Put him out of his misery," The Prime said after a beat and his optics had refocused. He was tired and distraught, yet they all knew there was _nothing_ that could be done to reverse the force-hack; the shoddy code-work, yes. They could try to reverse the hack, but keeping Sunstorm alive in the hope they _could_ was cruel.

"As you wish."

At least it was the quick death of a crushed sparkchamber.

"Drift?"

"Lord Prime?" he jerked his head up, though his optics couldn't meet those of the Prime.

The Prime scrubbed his face again, and Drift found himself wondering how much Optimus Prime even _knew_ about Knighthood and all the laws around it. He'd come to him as a Knight, but now the lie was over, and Drift could honestly say he was _very_ well aware he could be _Executed_ for such an impersonation. "I won't accept them, even if your Knight hands them over."

That answered Wing's Knight status (a Knight of Light? at least he thought so). It was also as good as granting him a pardon and freedom, and Drift stared, optics wide, then glanced at Wing, who was staring as well.

In all the tales they'd heard, Primes _always_ took what Knights offered, because Knights were the enforcers of the Prime's will. Unless Optimus had no idea what he was doing. Wonderful.

Deadlock ducked his head, and Drift raised it. "I- Thank you."

Optimus' smile was tight, but it didn't last as Cade (and wasn't that a name?) finally spoke up. "So, for those of use that _don't_ speak computer, now what?"

"We," Optimus gestured to them all, including the human who'd swapped sides, as he spoke in English. "Are going to join our brethren in the one country that has, so far, sheltered us without complaint."

"Where's that?" Shane asked.

"Australia."

"Oh man, I don't even _have_ a passport."

* * *

Why Australia? Because I can, and I live here.

Deadlock, Driftlock, Drift is used more to show state of mind.


	4. Chapter 4

Originally I was gonna stick them all in the vast outback, but. There's more to Australia than that, and I don't know it as well as I'd like. Soooo everyone gets to come to my state.

* * *

They'd arrived in Australia not two days ago, amidst yawns from tired humans and groans of mecha who'd spent the time in altmode aboard a military cargo plane. Thankfully he'd dropped right into recharge to avoid the Questions. But he _knew_ they'd come eventually. Even the Knights of Light had come, along with their 'baby' Titan, allowing Wing to fly alongside them.

"A _Titan_...?" Optimus had practically whispered as the gathered mecha - there to see what could be done about the ship as they _refused_ to allow it to fall into human hands- startled as the slow, laborious transformation of a titan into their stocky rootmode began in earnest. Noises were made that no-one had known their race could make as dust and grime sloughed off in great waves as parts shifted and rearranged as a form slowly, painfully - and somewhat drunkenly?- emerged.

It was perhaps a blessing that Grimlock and his crew had been the only prisoners left alive on the ship. Weapons could be folded away into storage, but living creatures could not.

Grimlock nodded with a grunt once the transformation was complete and a very dazed Titan stared down at them with purple optical bands. "Personal Titan of the Lord Primes. Aevum is yours to command, Lord Prime."

Optimus had nodded with all the tired, strut weary stoicism he could muster. "For now we shall focus on returning home."

Drift did not pity him the mire he'd waded into. If Dai Atlas were here... But no. The Knight was dead as far as Drift knew, and he did not want to think about Knights more than he had to; his CPU was starting to ache.

At least now they were on friendly soil and Aevum was parked in a field, for now, as self-repair took over.

Liaisons had come and gone, and he knew he wasn't alone in feeling like his processors had melted from all the legalise, even if Wing and Sideswipe had been in their elements, the fragging glitches. At least _Invictus_ seemed to have settled at last.

The drive to their new home had been nice, even if at some point they'd gained an escort of a 'local' police car, white with blue checker marks and the high visibility markings.

Drift decided he'd get the full story as to why Barricade was with them _later_.

The location they ended up in was located on the Tamar river. Farmland and a small community on one side, with what the locals called Bell Bay on the other, and yet _more_ farmland. The locals were curious if not friendly and willing to help the humans settle in, though they left the Cybertronians -and that's what they were to the Australian Government and people- alone otherwise.

"We could be with the Decepticons," Driftlock had muttered at some point as they settled into the ranch - farm, not ranch. They didn't have ranches here. Though perhaps it was more of a small base given how much work had been down to it.

"Why'd you say that?" one of the humans asked; he thought it was Carly, one of Sam Witwicky's lifemates.

"The accents and words," he groused, accent half away between native and not. He didn't care. "Double meanings and not speakin' straight."

"Well, don't you have access to the internet?" she shot back, hands on hips as she stared at him.

He dipped his chin in agreement. She had a point.

Later that night as he sat with Wing out in the field in the chilly air of a clear winter's night, _Invictus_ across his lap and near purring as the polishing cloth ran across the blade, he glanced at the Knight. "I'm glad."

"Hm?" Wing blinked, glancing up from polishing his own Sword.

"That you're alive. That he didn't kill you." Like he killed Knucklehead.

"Knights are hard to kill," Wing murmured with what sounded like a smirk.

"Good," Drift grunted even as he scooted closer to the jetformer. "I won't let you die, Wing."

He'd sooner rip his own spark out, thank you very much.


End file.
